Heart Strings|GirlxGirl

Between Silence And Strings

Axel hadn’t planned to open the door. When the soft knock echoed through her apartment, her first instinct was to stay silent, pretending no one was home. But the persistent rhythm wouldn’t stop.

She knew it was Freya even before checking the peephole. There was something about the deliberate softness of the knocks, firm enough to be heard but not overbearing. She sighed, debating whether to ignore it anyway.

“Axel, I know you’re in there,” Freya called gently from the other side. Her accent wrapped around the words like a warm blanket, coaxing Axel to respond.

With a resigned groan, Axel unlocked the door and pulled it open just enough to peer out. Freya stood there in an oversized black coat, her hands tucked into her pockets, looking like she’d been standing in the cold for too long.

“What do you want?” Axel asked, her voice rough from disuse.

“To see you,” Freya replied simply.

Axel hesitated, gripping the edge of the door. She was torn between slamming it shut and letting Freya in. The latter won.

“Fine,” she muttered, stepping back to let her in.

Freya entered quietly, her sharp eyes scanning the apartment. It was dimly lit, with curtains drawn and empty takeout containers scattered across the coffee table. Axel’s guitar sat untouched in the corner, dust starting to settle on its polished surface.

“You’ve been hiding,” Freya said softly, not as an accusation but an observation.

Axel shrugged, dropping onto the couch. “What’s there to be out for? Everyone thinks I’m quitting music, or the band, or both. The fans are losing their minds, the media’s making up stories, and the band’s probably blaming me for everything. So yeah, I’ve been hiding.”

Freya sat down beside her, close enough for their knees to brush. “You didn’t tell them about the post?”

“No. Why should I? They’ve been lying to me for years. I owe them nothing.”

Freya’s gaze softened. “Axel, I know you’re hurt, but shutting everyone out won’t make it better.”

Axel scoffed, leaning back and crossing her arms. “Why are you even here, Freye? To tell me I’m overreacting? To tell me I should forgive them?”

“No,” Freya said firmly. “I’m here because you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Axel turned to her, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but it died when she saw the genuine concern in Freya’s eyes.

“You don’t get it,” Axel whispered. “They were supposed to be my family. My constants. And they lied to my face, Freye. For who knows how long! How am I supposed to trust them after that?”

Freya reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing a hand on Axel’s knee. “I can’t pretend to know how that feels. But I do know that keeping all this inside will tear you apart.”

Axel stared at the hand on her knee, the warmth of Freya’s touch grounding her in a way she hadn’t felt in weeks. “It’s already tearing me apart,” she admitted, her voice breaking.

“Then let it out,” Freya urged gently. “Talk to me, scream at me, cry—whatever you need. Just don’t keep it bottled up.”

Axel’s walls crumbled before she could stop them. “I gave everything to this band,” she said, her voice trembling. “Every ounce of me. And they couldn’t even give me honesty in return. I feel... disposable, Freye. Like I don’t matter.”

Freya shifted closer, her arm sliding around Axel’s shoulders. “You matter, Axel. To me. To so many people.”

Axel let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, sure. I matter until I’m not useful anymore.”

Freya tightened her hold. “That’s not true. You’re more than your music, more than your role in the band. You’re Axel. And that’s enough.”

The sincerity in Freya’s voice cut through Axel’s defenses, and she found herself leaning into her. The warmth of Freya’s embrace was comforting, a stark contrast to the cold, hollow feeling she’d been drowning in.

“I’m so tired, Freye,” Axel confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Tired of pretending I’m okay. Tired of being strong. Tired of feeling like I’m always the one who’s wrong.”

“You don’t have to be strong with me,” Freya said softly, resting her chin on top of Axel’s head. “Let me be strong for you.”

Axel closed her eyes, the weight of the past few weeks pressing down on her. For the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, to let someone else carry the burden, even if just for a little while.

“I don’t know what to do,” Axel admitted, her voice thick with emotion.

“You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” Freya said gently. “One step at a time. And whatever steps you take, I’ll be right there with you.”

Axel pulled back slightly, looking up at Freya. “Why? Why do you care so much?”

Freya smiled, her eyes warm and kind. “Because I see you, Axel. The real you. And I think she’s worth fighting for.”

The sincerity in Freya’s words made Axel’s throat tighten. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed to hear that until now.

“Thank you,” Axel said, her voice barely audible.

Freya brushed a strand of hair out of Axel’s face, her touch tender. “You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me you’ll stop shutting me out.”

Axel hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask,” Freya said, pulling her into another hug.

For the first time in weeks, Axel felt a small flicker of hope. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to remind her that she didn’t have to face everything alone.

In the quiet of Freya’s arms, she let herself believe, if only for a moment, that things could get better.